We Live Among the Devils
by nebula2
Summary: During the normal bedtime routine JJ reflects on the changes in her life and how the job effects every aspect of their lives. Written for the Fortune Cookie Friday challenge at CCOAC.


**Disclaimer: CM and it's characters are not mine. Just borrowing.**

_**AN: So thanks to Jekkah and Flames101's wonderful JJ/Hotch stories I decided to dabble in the pairing myself to get the creative juices running. Written for CCOAC's Fortune Cookie Friday for March 9th, I hope you like this one-shot that takes a snap shot at a possible future for JJ and Hotch. Thanks to DragonClaymore for doing a quick beta of the story!**_

**Prompt: Hell is empty and all the devils are here.**

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><p>"Goodnight, JJ," eight-year-old Jack Hotchner said as he kissed the blonde's cheek before settling back down underneath the blankets.<p>

"Goodnight, Jack," JJ replied, tucking the blankets up neatly around her soon to be stepson.

In many ways, it often felt as if the little group, Jack, Henry, Hotch and herself, already was a family. She had been looking after Jack while Hotch was out of town chasing the never-ending supply of serial killers for the past eleven months. Her resignation from the bureau gave her the time and Henry was pleased to have a regular playmate. It filled her days and Jessica hadn't minded JJ stepping in. Will's death followed by a leave of absence had been the final nail in the coffin of her job. Four months after that she and Aaron had bought a small house, not far from Quantico, and moved in together.

She wasn't sure how it had come about so fast but she couldn't deny the feelings that were there between them. Maybe they stemmed from both losing love ones to a job they had loved. Most days JJ didn't even want to think about that. She just wanted to live the life they had created together. They were a family. The small private ceremony this upcoming weekend would just make that official.

"Sweet dreams," JJ whispered, leaning down to kiss Jack's forehead.

Standing up, JJ placed the book the bedtime storybook they were reading chapter by chapter on the desk and slipped from the room. The rest of the house was still, as she made her way the short distance her son's bedroom. She eased her way into Henry's room just to be sure he was sleeping soundly. He held something tight to his chest even in a sound sleep. Her now five-year-old son held a photo of his father. Almost a year later, Henry continued to refuse to go to sleep without 'Daddy' close by.

Watching her son sleep, it suddenly dawned on JJ that tomorrow it would be a year since it had happened. Exactly one year since Will had been shot on the morning of what should have been their wedding day. Shot because he had stepped in front of her when the wife of a suspect she had shot and killed had tracked her down with the intent to shoot her. The woman had only gotten one shot off, but it had been aimed perfectly. While Hotch and Rossi had arrested the woman, Morgan had made a call for medics. She had cradled Will's head in her lap as he drew his last breaths. She hadn't even been aware of Reid futilely trying to stop the flow of blood until Morgan was pulling him to his feet saying, "He's gone, man." Will was gone before the paramedics even had a chance to try and save him. It had been Hotch who had finally pulled her to her feet and led her away from the park where their wedding was supposed to take place only hours later.

Most days she didn't let herself dwell on those memories, as it was too heartbreaking. She had finally figured out what she had wanted and said yes to Will and then it was all gone - except for Henry. Her son was the only tangible thing left to the love she had shared with Will. Taking care of him had been the only thing she had been able to do following the funeral - making his meals, dressing, bathing and reading him his bedtime story. Still, she wouldn't have been able to accomplish even that if it wasn't for her friends prompting her to take care of herself. They had all played their roles but Hotch was the one she had depended on the most. Their experiences, unfortunately shared, bringing them closer.

Walking over to Henry's bed, she gently maneuvered the picture frame from the small hands. She turned it over and a tear came to her eye. It was of the three of them at Henry's fourth birthday party. The last birthday party Will had gotten to attend. All of them looked so happy. Now she wouldn't ever know what the three of them might have had.

JJ slipped the photo back into her son's hands, kissed his forehead and slipped from the room. She couldn't live in the past - she had to go on. She had to keep living so that her son wouldn't lose both parents with the death of his father. It was a lesson that she had learned thanks to the patience of the one man who seemed to understand her better than anyone else ever had.

Padding her way back downstairs, JJ continued walking through the quiet house her way illuminated by the lights that had been left on in strategic places. Before long she had reached her destination - her fiance's home office. Hotch was there now, his head bent over the files opened on his desk. From her spot in the doorway, JJ could only see his profile but it was enough for her to see the worry on his face.

Since taking over as Section Chief of the BAU, Hotch didn't travel as much, but he was just as dedicated to the job as ever - just as dedicated to the agents that served under him. Especially Morgan, Reid, and Rossi, whom he had spent the most time with. Now one of those agents was missing, taken by the UnSub Morgan and his team had been hunting. JJ knew that if there wasn't a break soon, Hotch would be flying out to Utah to be directly involved in the search instead of poring over the files looking for any small detail that would give them a lead.

She also knew she wouldn't stand in his way - even if it meant that yet another wedding was postponed. Not that she wanted the event to take place with Reid missing. She wanted her entire 'BAU family' there when she exchanged vows with Hotch.

Sitting back in the chair, Hotch ran his hands back through his hair. Her footsteps echoing softly on the hardwood floor, JJ closed the distance between them. Catching the sound, Hotch turned his head in her direction.

"The boys are asleep?" he asked.

JJ nodded. "They were a little upset that you didn't share in the bedtime story time tonight but I told them you were working hard. Jack told me to tell you to make sure you catch the bad guy," she told him, stepping behind the chair and beginning to massage the tense muscles in Hotch's shoulders.

"I booked a six o'clock flight, JJ. I can't sit here knowing he's missing. If I don't do something to help, and then the worse happens, I will never be able to forgive myself."

"I know," JJ replied quietly.

Hotch looked at the papers spread out over his desk. "The nightmare never ends does it?" he asked in a quiet voice.

_Hell is empty and all the devils are here._

JJ wasn't sure where she had heard that saying but her years with the BAU had shown her the truth of them. They hunted the devils that resided here on Earth. The causalities of the serial killers that she had hunted - that her friends still hunted weren't just their victims. Their effects went far beyond those that they had killed. There were the families of those murdered. The agents like Gideon and Elle that had reached the edge and weren't able to be pulled back like Hotch had pulled her back. The broken families caused by the long hours away from home in order to track the killers down.

"No, it doesn't. That's why it's important that we cherish the happy times that we have together. Remind ourselves that even in the darkness the feelings we have for those we care about can still be our beacon."

Hotch reached up with one hand and found JJ's. The blonde quit the kneading motions and grasped her fiance's hand

"I remember what day tomorrow is. I know it won't be easy for you, and I wanted to be there for you. I had my calendar cleared so that I could spend the day with you and now . . . "

JJ leaned forward, positioning her head next to Hotch's. "No matter how hard you try, you can't control everything, Aaron. The team needs you more than me right now. Reid needs you . . . if something . . . I don't know how I could tell Henry that his godfather isn't ever coming to see him again," she said, her voice no louder than a whisper as she fought back the tears stinging her eyes.

"Then we can't let that happen," Hotch replied.

With the hand, he held in his, Hotch guided JJ to a seated position in his lap. Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close as much drawing comfort from her as he was trying to comfort her. Like so many other times in his life, the timing sucked, but the killers they hunted cared nothing at all about what was going on in their lives.

"Every time I leave, I'm afraid I'm going to come back to find you've left just like Haley did," Hotch whispered, confessing his number one fear to the woman that he loved.

JJ leaned closer to him, burying her head in the crook of his neck. "That is never going to happen. Don't forget that I've been out there. I understand why you do this job in a way that Haley never could."

"I love you," Hotch whispered into her ear.

"I love you too," she said back, her fingers interlaced as her arms encircled his neck. "I do have one request though."

"What's that?"

"Can we spend what time we do have until your flight upstairs in our bed? There isn't much you can do to help from here and you holding me for a bit would help me out a lot."

"I think I can oblige you," Hotch told her. "Besides, I should probably get some rest."

Picking JJ up in his arms, Hotch got to his feet. Leaving things exactly where they were he headed out of the home office with his fiancé in his arms. Pausing only for JJ to flip light switches to their off position, he made his way to their bedroom where he could escape the horrors of the outside world for a few hours.


End file.
